To expect fat nurses to have some insight?.

'Why do you think those people who are fat shamed, bullied, discriminated against and know their health is suffering don’t just lose weight by cutting down on food? Answer me that.'

Because many think they can't, some think they have a medical condition that they have no control over. Others think their calories in and energy used is different to everyone else's. They think they produce too much cortisol or are chasing dopamine highs. All these medicalised words enabling overeating.

Again I'm not suggesting it is easy if you are used to eating large amounts often <and obviously not including those with genuine diagnosed ED> but the key is, without it being 'dieting' just eat less. Day by day reduce portion size, walk rather than drive (I never see overweight people when I'm out dogwalking long distances) and i guarantee after 6 months you will see pounds come off.

You still aren’t understanding the point though are you? Luck absolutely does come into both being able to eat healthier and that allowing you to lose weight. Can you honestly not see that?

Can you really not understand that food issues are not related to hunger? Do what if you can not respond to hunger for a couple of hours? Do you want a medal? It’s totally irrelevant when it comes to obesity, people aren’t obese because they could hold off an hour for tea because they were hungry. If it was purely a hunger response they then would eat less at tea if they ate now.

You still haven’t answered my question so I’ll ask you for a third time. If it’s a choice, why do obese people put up with bullying, discrimination, knowing it’s not healthy if it’s purely a choice just to eat more healthily? Why can you do it but others cant or don’t. Why do you think that is?

I hope to God you don’t work in healthcare

An overeating problem is very obvious but drink, drug and other addiction/MH issues are invisible. They are dispensing the info their position requires. A Dr isn't going to say, 'actually I shouldn't advise on pain relief as I'm an opiates addict' or an architect say, 'I can't draw up your house plans for a minimalist box as I live in a hoarders paradise'. Ever heard the expression, 'the shoemakers bairns ..' meaning the shoemakers children's shoe were a mess if they had any'.

I’m not bashing anyone. You said reducing food has significant negative effects in the body. I merely said that for overweight people the major gains of weight loss significantly outweigh the short term issues.

I’m sorry to hear you have an ED, it makes life very difficult.

'Nope. I don’t know whether you can’t understand or don’t want to - but yes your ability to just reduce the amount you eat AND that result in weight loss is down to pure luck. I’m sorry if it removes your sense of superiority but, that is the truth.'

I'm really not superior. I've faced significant health challenges as have many so have empathy for anyone struggling with serious health problems. Facts are facts though and luck doesn't come into eating healthily.

I'm starving now but it's only 4pm! so I will just stay feeling hungry or have a coffee until later on, it won't kill me.

Nope. I don’t know whether you can’t understand or don’t want to - but yes your ability to just reduce the amount you eat AND that result in weight loss is down to pure luck. I’m sorry if it removes your sense of superiority but, that is the truth.

Your ascertation there is no fat shaming indicates that you have no self awareness though so it’s not entirely surprising you can’t even see your own good fortune.

Why do you think those people who are fat shamed, bullied, discriminated against and know their health is suffering don’t just lose weight by cutting down on food? Answer me that.

I think the issue is the advice is unsolicited. That’s the problem. The OP has not gone to the doctor for dietary advice. She went for blood pressure check.

I would feel the same. If I went for a blood pressure check and I am a healthy weight then I don’t need basic NHS dietary advice. Especially if I am in the normal weight range and the person giving the advice is not. They can ask me how often I exercise and what my diet is like if they want and that should establish that it’s not needed.

That does not mean overweight nurses are not qualified to give this advice out. But target it at those that clearly need it and ask for it.

1. Obesity is endemic.
2. Genetics play a large part in who becomes obese.
3. Nurses are often struggling with time/money, both of which push towards poor eating.
4. Stop being so self righteous. Are you looking for an excuse to dismiss what they are saying?

FWIW, I would much rather speak to somebody like you.

This. I'm not a nurse but I have hypothyroidism and would hate to be judged on my ability to do my job or anything because of it

It's a routine health check. To me that means blood pressure, review any medication, maybe a blood count - OP clearly doesn't need dietary advice since she's not overweight.
I don't think nurses should mention diet unless asked or unless a person is visibly overweight. And a fat HCP can't really offer dietary advice with any authority if they are fat themselves, since it does come across as hypocritical. Yes they might have a thyroid problem or something but most people who are fat are fat because of diet (not judging, am big myself). That said, an overweight nurse might have more empathy to the difficulties of following a healthy diet, than a nurse who finds it easy to stay slim.

It's not comparable to teacher without kids themselves being able to teach, since teaching and parenting are not linked.

As an overweight nurse myself this really saddens me - I have PCOS and really struggle with weight loss.
I am more than qualified to give out dietary advice and hate that someone would think my weight would make me less qualified at doing my job.

What a profoundly ignorant comment.

Binge eating disorder is a recognised eating disorder. Dopamine searching can be a symptom of ADHD among other conditions. As others have mentioned there are links to trauma.

'People will only continue to get fatter. It’s going to get worse, not better. That’s why these threads are fairly pointless.'

Why do you think it's going to get worse? I'll tell you why I think it will, because it's been medicalised and enabled. Being overweight is now seen as a 'condition', so people stop every trying.

They can't help it because someone on the internet told them that.

Tbf many threads on mn are pointless but we aren't in charge sadly so can't change things just hopefully make people see that they need to take responsibility for their health.

To add, I do know the difference between "diet" and "being on a diet" - English is my first language despite living in other countries. But the OP stated, "Two nurses - both considerably overweight - dispensing advice on diet. I am not overweight." The fact that she mentioned she was not overweight led me to believe that the nurses had been referring to "diet" as weight loss.

Nonetheless, I take your point that this is routine advice, given whether the patient needs it or not.

But do you REALLY think that these threads actually do anything other than shame fat people? They don’t help. They don’t point out anything fat people don’t already know. It’s no wonder fat people get defensive.

And you assume that most fat people are making excuses when you know nothing about most people. One of the biggest risk factors for developing an ED is a previous history of dieting - as well as being shamed. EDs cost the the NHS £9.4 billion. Obesity currently £6.5 billion.

As per @Spirallingdownwards post above, apparently these are routine conversations, and not based on personal dynamics, experiences or disorders.

Big unfair slagging off the people who are looking after your mum/dad/child/nan/granddad in hospital though. Most of who are fat in healthcare know they are fat. They aren’t stupid. But I feel like we have a fairly reasonable excuse to be fat.

People will only continue to get fatter. It’s going to get worse, not better. That’s why these threads are fairly pointless.

'oh and of course it’s luck. It’s a privilege to be able to afford nutritious food and have the ability, time and education to cook well'

You see its this defeatist attitude that is the problem. It is cheap and easy to eat well (maybe not the amount preferred but certainly to eat well). Ready meals and junk food are actually more expensive but it's this fallacy that people have to live on bogofs of crap.

We aren't wealthy but we eat well and healthily every single day.

Every single person who has the routine health checks now offered is given advice about nutrition whatever their size. They did not single her out.

@Spirallingdownwards - fair enough. As I said, I've never been lucky enough to have one of these appointments, so I have no idea what goes on at them. Which leads me to an apology for saying they fat shamed her - you were right, I was wrong.

@Zimunya Diet advice is not slimming advice. It is advice on what you eat. Perhaps as you refer to other countries you misunderstand the meaning of diet and think it merely relates to "going on a diet" which means slimming and "your diet" which means what you eat. Health checks routinely lead to a chat about healthy eating and nutrition and levels of appropriate exercise. Even the fittest and slimmest of people still have a discussion about food and exercise for health chats at such appointments.

'There is fat bashing. The fact that there are threads like this nearly every day is fat bashing. Why does there need to be this constant rehashing of the same thing?'

There are threads every day because it's a massive problem and a drain on the NHS. With few people taking responsibility just repeating the same old not my fault excuses.

Eating disorders are of course different and I'm sorry for what you have endured. However not everyone has an ED, or an addiction, or on meds that just make them pile on pounds. There is a lot of delusion around this subject but sensitive language is needed, we can see how defensive obese people get.

Why did they feel you needed nutrition advice? Do you have a history of eating disorders?

Nurses are human like the rest of us i couldn't care less what they look like or do in their own time. Do you also judge health care professionals who smoke, drink and take drugs.